Vapor-rectifier system.



U. P. STEINMETZ.

VAPOR RECTIFIER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED $221. 25, 1905.

Patented May 19, 1914.

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\A/ITHESSES M @jmL TED ST WENT O F E CHARLESIP. STEINME'IQZ, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL EIILIQC'IRH'J COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

' VAPOR-RECTIFIER SYSTEM. 7

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1914.

Application filed September 25, 1905. Serial No. 279,939.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 'it known that I, CHARLES P. STEIN- METZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady,

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor- Rectifier Systems, of which the following is a specification I This invention relates to systems of electrical distribution in which mercury rectifiers are utilized to convert alternating current into unidirectional current and comprises an improved means for exciting such rectifiers so as to maintain them continuously conductive for current from the source.

When a rectifier is operating on an alternating current source, alternate half waves of current are delivered through the arc to the vaporizable cathode by difi'erent anodes, and unless some special means is provided for bridging over the so-called dead points in the current waves, these alternate ourrents from the anodes will not maintain the rectifier 1n a conductive condition. I employ reactance coils in shunt with the recti} fier arcs in such a way that energy is stored in the reactance coils and subsequently delivered to the rectifier anodes to maintain a fiow of current through the rectifier during intervals when current would ordinarily not be supplied from the source. Such a system of excitation is applicable to either constant potential or constant "current rectifiers.

Figure 1 shows. a mercury rectifier provided with reactance coils in shunt with the arcs, and operating on a constant potential circuit; Fig. 2 shows a rectifier supplying substantially constant current, and provided with a pair of. auxiliary anodes excited from a constant potential source and provided with shunting reactances.

In Fig. 1 the rectifier tube 1 comprises an evacuated chamber of glass or other suit-.

. imity to the cathode 2, and capable of making contact therewith to start the rectifier into operation, as will be readily understood by a person skilled in the art. A consumption circuit 9 receives current from the cathode 2, and is provided with a return path to a central tap' 10 of the alternating current source 7. This consumption circuitmayunclude a plurality of translating devices such'as are or incandescent lamps, and it may also include a reactance coil 11, or the translating devices themselves may possess a considerable amount of reactance so as to oppose any tendencyofthe reactances 12 betweenthe two mercury electrodes, thereby forming an arc in the lower end of thetube after current will flow alternately from anodes 3 and 4: to cathode 2 and then through the consumption circuit 9 back to the source 7. A current wave from anod 3 will not however return to the source entirely through the consumptionc1rcuit9, buta part will return through reactance 12, thus storing a certain amount of energy the reactance which is glven up later in the and starting the tube into operation. There form of a discharge from anode 4: to cathode I 2, which discharge is sufiiciently out of phase with the original are between anode 3 and the cathode to bridge over the dead point. In shunt with this discharge path of the reactance coil is a metallic circuit made up .by the lead 6, half of the transformer secondary 7, reactance 11 and the translating devices in the consumption circuit, but owing to the relatively high impedance of this path substantiallyno current will flow therein from the reactance l2. Reactance 13 operates similar in all respects to reactanee'12, except that it is energized by current from the other anode. The reactance coils 12 and 13 are preferably wound for comparatively low currents so that the con:

sumption of energy tomaintain tlrmectifier in a conduct ve condition is negligible. The reactance co1l s 12 and 13 are not traversed by the load current and will maintain the} tube in a conductive conditlon irrespectiveof Whether the consumption circuitis open mentary open circuit in the load.

Fig. 2 shows a rectifier 15, provided with anodes 16 and 17 and a mercury cathode 18 and also provided with auxiliary anodes 19 and 20 for the purpose hereinafter set forth. The rectifier receives energy from a constant potential source 21 through a constant current transformer 22 of a wellknown type having a stationary primary coil 23 and a movable secondary 24. This last named coil has its terminals connected to the anodes 16 and 17, and is provided with a central tap 25 connected through a plurality of translating devices 26 to the rectifier cathode 18. The auxiliary anodes 19 and 20 are connected to a constant potential source 21 and arealso connected to a cathode 18 and to reactance coils 27 and 28. A reactance coil 29 is connected across the constant potential source 21, and is provided with a central tap 30 connected through a reactance 31 to the mercury cathode 18. A steadying reactance 32 may be introduced in one of the anode leads between the source 21 and the reactance coil 29. To start the tube into operation it is shaken until a momentary contact is established between the mercury and one of the anodes thereby produc ing an are, after which the tube is self-maintaining, A wave of current passing to cathode 18 from anode19 returns to the reactance coil 29 by way of the reactance 31 and tap 30, and also by way of reactance 28, thus storing in the last named reactance a certain amount of energy which is given up I, in the form of a current discharge having a certain phase displacement with respect to This discharge tifier tube from anode 20 to cathode 18 and does not pass through the metallic parallel circuit including reactance 31 by which its passage is opposed. This discharge of the reactance coil 28 serves to bridge over the dead point, and so maintains a continuous either of the main anodes 16 and 17. In-

asmu'ch as the excitation is independent of the load the latter may be varied at vwill, and may even be opened without putting out the rectifier, as the anodes 19 and 20 and their cooperating reactances will continue to deliver current to the cathode 18.

What I claim as new and desire to' secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. The combination of a'source of alternating current, a vapor electric device traversed by said current, reactancesconnected in shunt with said rectifier, av circuit connecting said reactances to thesource of current and'a'n impedance device in'said circuit, proportioned to substantially prevent a discharge of said reactances through said circuit. 2. The combination of a source of alternating current, a mercury vapor rectifier traversed by saidcurrent and having a plurality ofanodes and a cathode, reactance devices connectedfrespectively to said anodes and to said" cathode, a consumption circuit connected between said reactance devices and said source, and an impedance device included in said circuit for reducing the dis-' consumption circuit.

3. The combination of a vapor electric device having a cathode, a plurality of main anodes, and a plurality of auxiliary anodes, means for supplying current to said rectifier, a load circuit, reactance devices connected respectively to said auxiliary anodes and said cathode, circuit connections between reactances and said source, and an impedance device in the circuit between said reactance devices and the source to reduce the discharge of said reactances in said circuit.

In witness whereof, I have hereuntoset my hand this 21st day of September, 1905.

CHARLES P. STEINMETZ'.

Witnesses: V

HELEN ORFORD, 

